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Chameleon

Photo by Dr. La'Toya Latney

Lizards like Chamillionaire, a veiled chameleon, need ultraviolet B light to produce the vitamin D needed for their intestines to absorb calcium.

When Dr. La'Toya Latney first met Chamillionaire, the youngster was suffering from serious bone damage.

The 6-month-old veiled chameleon, a species native to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, had been relinquished by his owner at the veterinary hospital where Latney works in New York City. Chamillionaire hadn't been getting the right type of light, hindering his body's ability to absorb calcium.

"I adopted him from an owner who did not know better," Latney said.

In the hands of a more knowledgable owner, Chamillionaire lived to a respectable 4 years old. Now, a new rule in the United States has increased the chance that, even with owners who know better, numerous species of captive animals may not get the heat and light they need to be healthy.

A ban on inefficient "general service lamps" was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2022 and went into effect on July 3 this year. The rule is intended to encourage the use of more efficient lighting sources, such as LED lamps, that are better for the environment.

The problem is that some of the banned bulbs emit a particular spectrum of light, ultraviolet B (UVB), that readily activates the production of vitamin D needed to facilitate calcium absorption in the intestines.

Calcium is a vital mineral for all animals, including humans, that's involved in bone structure, muscle contraction and several cellular processes.

"The ban should be a concern of animal caretakers for many species," said Latney, a senior veterinarian at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center who also is chair of the Association for Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV). "This is particularly true for captive reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammal species that have limited exposure to natural, unfiltered sunlight."

Still, practitioners like Latney are especially concerned for reptile and amphibian species that are more dependent on artificial lighting and therefore overrepresented when it comes to calcium-related diseases.

Calcium production isn't their only concern. Reptiles and amphibians are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature depends on external heat sources. So-called basking bulbs that provide a controllable heat source, whether via ultraviolet A or infrared radiation, also have been caught up in the ban.

"The new rules could definitely negatively affect the welfare of a lot of animals in captivity," said Dr. Kimberlee Wojick, the director of veterinary services at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island.

Although alert to the potential impact on the zoo's small reptile and amphibian collection, Wojick worries more about animals kept in people's homes.

"Professional places such as zoos and aquariums are going to be able to pivot and modify things a little bit more easily than a reptile hobbyist," Wojick said. "So I think the animals and the people that will suffer the most are just the regular consumers that would be buying these lamps and lights from pet stores."

Do legal alternatives exist?

A U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson told the VIN News Service that the agency is "actively working" with the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums "to find solutions to their needs" amid growing calls by veterinarians, zookeepers and pet owners for an exemption for animal husbandry.

Numerous alternative sources of heat and light remain available, but none are ideal, according to practitioners contacted by VIN News.

Whether heating, lighting or both are needed depends on the animal; some species are more sensitive to a lack of heat or UVB than others. Snakes, for example, typically don't require special UVB bulbs, just basking bulbs for warmth.

On the heating side, alternatives such as ceramic heating pads simply aren't as effective as basking bulbs, said Dr. Brad Lock, a reptile consultant for the Veterinary Information Network, an online community for the profession and parent of VIN News.

"Things like heat emitters, heat pads and radiant heat panels do not provide the best heat sources and are very drying to the animal and the enclosure environment," he said.

They can also cause injuries, according to Latney. "Heating pads have been reported to cause severe and even fatal thermal burns in reptiles," she said. "The hobbyist shift from heating pads to heating lamps occurred largely due to this continued welfare concern."

On the lighting side, alternative bulbs providing UVB for calcium absorption include LED lights and mercury vapor bulbs — the latter providing a combination of UVB and heat. But it's unclear whether LEDs, a relatively new technology, provide sufficient UVB for many species, Latney said, and mercury vapor bulbs could emit unhealthy levels of either UVB or heat.

"When heat and UVB emittance are coupled in the same unit, you lose the balance needed for species that may have inverse requirements for UVB exposure levels and environmental heat," Latney said, offering the example of leopard geckos suffering toxic reactions to extreme UVB exposure. Amphibians, for their part, have sensitive skin that puts them at more risk of overheating, especially if kept in small enclosures.

Wojick in Rhode Island agrees the bulb ban will make it harder for carers to mimic the natural sunlight conditions they're trying to recreate for their animals.

"We have such a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians that we're using these lights for," she said. "We really need to have a lot of tools in our arsenal, and having this big group of them suddenly taken away will have unintended consequences."

Animals could be exposed to natural light outdoors, but Latney cautions: "UVB radiation worldwide varies. For example, studies have shown that the amount of UVB exposure in North Carolina is not as strong as Northern Australia, so bearded dragons are at risk without additional UVB support …"

She also cautions against giving oral vitamin D supplements to herbivores and omnivores, "and honestly even some carnivores," explaining that even seemingly inoccuous over-the-counter products found in pet stores "can be dangerous if administered at unknown amounts to captive species."

Xray

Photo courtesy of Dr. La'Toya Latney

An X-ray of Chamillionaire, taken when he was 6 months old, shows a severe reduction in bone density (osteopenia) and a folding fracture of his left femur, which healed in an abnormal position. The damage was caused by inadequate exposure to UV light.

The clock is ticking

None of the sources contacted by VIN News told of any animals falling ill because of the bulb ban. That may be because the ban has been in place for fewer than two months, and the bulbs, depending on type and use, can last for three to six months, perhaps longer.

Moreover, animal owners and pet shops have been stockpiling bulbs, according to Phil Goss, president of the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK), a nonprofit advocacy group. "I've heard stories of people buying as many cases as they could afford," he said.

Although the ban applies to the manufacture, distribution and sale of specified bulbs, Goss said the DOE doesn't appear to be taking an active enforcement approach — at least not yet — leaving room for pet shops to continue selling stock on hand. He said he's aware of at least one manufacturer that has stopped making the banned bulbs and entered into discussions with the DOE to push for an exemption for animal husbandry.

Bulb manufacturers in the U.S. include Zoo Med, Fluker's and Hagen, said Lock, the VIN reptile consultant. "I have been buying a lot of bulbs to have them in case this does actually start affecting availability," he said. "The prices, of course, have already started increasing."

Financial barriers may hamper keepers from obtaining alternative products. For instance, the compact incandescent UVB bulbs being banned cost roughly $20 to $30 each, compared with around $80 and upwards for LED UVB bulbs, Goss said. LEDs typically last longer and consume less electricity than incandescent lights, but Goss said their design is another concern.

"Compact [incandescent] bulbs spread light more widely because of the way they're made with the curved glass — they shoot UVB all over the place," he said. "The LEDs are more a focused-type bulb, so if you've got a bigger enclosure you might need three or four LED bulbs, and then your expense is going up almost 20 times."

Goss also worries about fire hazards, should animal owners start running multiple electrical cords to their setups.

Whether animals successfully adapt to alternative sources of heat and light might be hard to tell, especially with those belonging to hobbyists who don't seek regular veterinary care — and even with those who do. Wojick and Goss noted that reptiles can be good at masking illness.

"It's crazy what they can handle," Goss said. "Someone might try an alternative they think is OK, but they might not notice outside symptoms for a year or more."

The ARAV and USARK have been encouraging members and nonmembers alike to write to lawmakers requesting an exemption. Latney said hobbyists, herpetologists and organizations including zoos, universities and animal welfare groups, have expressed concerns about the ban, which have been presented to the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee.

"I think the Department of Energy is trying to do good things," said Wojick, who has been leading the lobbying effort for the ARAV. "We obviously need energy conservation. We don't want to waste our resources. But this is such a niche market, and it would be great if an exemption is eventually made for animal husbandry."